Described is an apparatus for heating end portions of pipes made of thermoplastic material, comprising an internal heating element, designed to be inserted at least partially inside an end portion of a pipe made of thermoplastic material for heating an inner cylindrical surface of the portion, the heating element comprising at least one infra-red ray radiation unit which has an operating zone designed to face at least partially the inner cylindrical surface, the operating zone extending longitudinally along a predetermined direction, parallel to a central axis of the pipe to be heated.

An embodiment of a portable tube flaring system for flaring a flexible plastic tube end includes a hand-held wand with a heating element for heating a tube heater receptacle, which provides direct contact heating of the tube end about the entire outer periphery of the tube end. A mandrel device is configured for manual insertion into the heated tube end by the user after the tube end is removed from the wand and heater receptacle. A power/control unit is connected to the wand by a wiring bundle to provide electrical power to the heating element, and to optionally provide a visual and/or audio signal to the user for indicating when the tube end should be removed from the wand receptacle, and thereafter, when the mandrel may be removed from the tube end after sufficient cooling or curing time. The system may be carried by a person.

A heating-nozzle arrangement for heating a partly formed packaging container, comprises one or more nozzle assemblies, arranged to direct a heated air flow to portions of a packaging container to be sealed; a gas-supply portion, arranged to supply a mass flow of heated gas to the nozzle assembly, further the nozzle assembly comprises at least a first and a second hole pattern and that the heating-nozzle arrangement further comprises a selector for directing the mass flow of heated air towards the first hole pattern or the second hole pattern respectively.